6 Months of self-employment: The ups, the downs, the discoveries, what's next.

Six months ago, I left my 9 to 5 marketing management role to become a self-employed marketing freelancer and contractor.

It has been a big transition, to put it lightly.

I have learned so much about how I work best and what I want to focus on.

What I've loved about being self-employed.

Freedom & Flexibility: 

The freedom and flexibility have enabled me to only work on projects that align with how I want to work.

I was able to take a step back, set up a routine that works for me, and then take on work that aligns with that.

Creative Control:

Being self-employed allows me to put as much effort into my own marketing as I want.

When employed full-time, some businesses can get defensive if they see that you're starting to grow your brand.

If you've ever tried to grow a personal brand when you have a 9-5, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

Personal Growth:

Being self-employed means you are in complete control of whether you make money or not. You want to eat? You will have to go out there, market yourself, hand out the business cards, apply for the roles, speak to the recruiters, etc.

While this can be hard, it has helped me grow as a person and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It has made me realise that I can do anything I set my mind to as long as I put in the work and believe it's possible.

The downs of being self-employed.

Uncertainty:

Every day I feel uncertainty and worry. Whether thats about taxes, if I'm putting enough money into my business, if I'm making enough effort to market myself and look for work etc.

Work-Life Balance:

Finding a work-life balance can be difficult. Even if you do manage to create a good schedule and work an average number of hours, your mind is always on work. I'll be in bed thinking that I haven't uploaded a blog in a month. Or that it's tax season, and I still need to contact my accountant.

Overwhelming:

As the sole proprietor, you bear the weight of decision-making and problem-solving, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. Having a mentor and an accountant has helped me with this, but it can still be difficult.

What's changed in the past six months?

My Services:

Well, a lot. For a start, the services I offer have changed.

When starting, I offered social media management, copywriting, and anything anyone needed for small businesses.

Now, I work with small and medium-sized businesses, offering marketing management, communications, marketing project management, and LinkedIn Ghostwriting services.

I realised that these were the things I loved about my job as a marketing manager, so they're the services I should be offering. If anyone needs anything other than this, I simply refer them to someone who does those services. For example, if someone required website development, I would refer them to the web developer I work in partnership with.

I also prefer to take on big contracts and work with a small amount of businesses at a time. I used to think the more clients, the better. But I don't work my best like that. I'm more careful about the work I take on and the clients I work with.

My Routine:

When I first became self-employed, my work schedule was all over the place. I'd take off random afternoons, work evenings, take off random Fridays, etc. I thought I enjoyed this way of working. However, I quickly realised that I was never switched off from work.

Depending on how much work I have, I start work between 7-8:30, and I'm logged off by 4:30 to go to the gym. I'm way more productive in my working hours, and it allows me to switch off properly for the evening. I very rarely work weekends anymore, either.

I work to live. Not live to work.

My branding:

You may have noticed a change if you have visited my site before. Over Christmas, I took some time to write a business plan for 2024, and in that was a complete brand refresh. 

• A name for my business

• New fonts, colours, designs

• New content strategy

I wanted my personal brand to reflect who I am, what I stand for, my experience, and what I offer.

There's still quite a bit to do. But I'm pleased with my progress so far.

What's next for me?

My main goals this year are to continue working on my business plan, growing my personal brand, and ensuring that I'm putting 100% into all my client projects and work.

A big thing for me is remembering that I can achieve my 2024 goals without burning myself out. In January 2024, I worked very hard, and by February, I felt completely burnt out. Now that I'm feeling better and refreshed, my goal is to focus on getting 1% better every day rather than going all in and then having to take breaks because I'm ill.

The past six months have been the most challenging but rewarding six months of my life. It's come with challenges, and I have made mistakes along the way, but it was the best decision I ever made.